Lasagna è la vita. Translation: Lasagna is life.
I’m not sure if it’s all that cheese or all that pasta but there’s something about Lasagna that makes me feel warm, nostalgic and so so happy. It seems like everyone is quite precious about their own recipe for lasagna. Not sure if that true? But I think it’s quite a personal dish, well it certainly is for me. So, I don’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, not least the Italians, but I wanted to share my version on here because it’s truly one of my favourite dishes!
Funnily enough, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever made a classic beef lasagna… even before I was a vegetarian. Can you believe it?! My sister used to hate beef when she was younger (she’s now vegan – Ha!) – so my mum always used to cook it with Quorn mince.
This lasagna is free of any ‘meat’, plant based or animal, instead puts the mighty vegetable centre stage! And so it should be! I honestly believe a vegetable lasagna is the best version of a lasagna – and I’m prepared to fight anyone who says it isn’t. It’s got so much more going on and the flavours are so much more exciting than boring old beef.
I’ve mentioned throughout ways to make this vegan if you wanted to!
Ingredients
Filling
1x Aubergine
1x Courgette
2x peppers (red and yellow)
1x red onion
2x garlic cloves
1tsp dried mixed herbs
400g tin plum tomatoes
200g passata
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Ground or cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Lasagna sheets (can use vegan pasta – most dried pasta is vegan)
150-200g grated cheddar cheese (or vegan alternative)
Secret ingredient – glug of red wine
White Sauce
500 ml Almond milk (or cows milk)
60g Flour
60g Butter (vegan or not)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
Ground black pepper
Handful of grated cheese (optional)
Recipe
1. Pre heat oven to 200C. Dice onion. Mince garlic. Chop aubergine, peppers and courgette (you want sizable chunks so 1cm squares will do).
2. Heat oil in a large pan. Medium heat. Fry onion for 2-3 mins. Then add all the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper*. Once they are beginning to soften, add dried herbs and garlic.
3. Turn heat up and add a good glug of red wine. Fry alcohol off. Then add tinned tomatoes and reduce the heat. Squash and break up plum tomatoes. Add passata and sugar**. Leave for 5-10 to simmer and reduce. Taste and season more if needed.
4. Turning your attention to the white sauce – melt butter in a medium pan. Once melted add the flour and mix. Once incorporated add the milk, a little bit at a time, whisking to ensure there are no lumps. Add the bay leaf. Keep heat on medium and keep whisking until thickened. Should be consistency of a loose yogurt. Add handful of cheese and season.
5. Now you are ready to layer the lasagna sheets, red sauce and white sauce in a deep dish. How many layers is up to you! Just make sure to leave approx. ½ of the white sauce for the top. Top with lots of grated cheese and cracked black pepper. Bake for 25-30 mins or until crispy and seeping at the edges.
Notes
* Adding salt at this step will help to sweat the vegetables quicker.
**sugar lessens the acidity of the tomatoes and should balance everything out